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The Contemporary Pacific, Vol. 19, No. 1 (2007)

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The Contemporary Pacific, Vol. 19, No. 1 (2007) 330 the contemporary pacific • 19:1 (2007) Decolonising the Mind: The Impact vibrant period of literature, art, per- of the University on Culture and formance, writing, and publishing at Identity in Papua New Guinea, the University of Papua New Guinea 1971–1974, by Ulli Beier. Canberra: (upng). This was a time of quick Pandanus Books and Research School planting and harvesting of the literary of Pacific and Asian Studies, Austral- and artistic talents that the Beiers ian National University, 2005. isbn stumbled into, waiting as it were to 74076-137-5; xvii + 173 pages, fig- be nurtured, given impetus, and made ures, photographs, glossary, bibliog- to bloom. From subtle nationalism to raphy. a$40.91. fiery anticolonial resistance; from imagining one’s own community to I often asked whether Ulli Beier living in one that is about to be inde- would write a book that would tell us pendent—those were the moods of all about his role as a catalyst in the the period. Those Papua New Guin- emergence of Papua New Guinean eans that the Beiers influenced—such (PNG) literature in the late 1960s and as Albert Maori Kiki, Vincent Eri, early 1970s. The question is now Kumalau Tawali, Leo Hannet, Math- answered with his recent book, Decol- ias Kawage, Akis, Taite Aihi, and onising the Mind. This is an appropri- Ruki Fame—have all shown that the ate title that reveals all that Ulli and arts and literary culture have a pur- his wife, Georgina, worked so hard to pose to serve the people of Papua see happen in Papua New Guinea— New Guinea. especially their tireless commitment The main thread of the book is to see that Papua New Guineans use about the impact of the university on literature and arts as weapons of culture and identity in Papua New resistance to colonialism. That the Guinea between 1971 through 1974. chosen title comes from the work Ulli wants to tell us his story about of the renowned Kenyan writer and what happened in between those social critic, Ngu˜gı˜ wa Thiong’o years. After spending many years (Decolonising the Mind, 1986) is working to promote the art and liter- also apt, as it leads us to consider the ature of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, strategies that Papua New Guineans the Beiers came to Papua New Guinea employed to decolonize themselves, in September 1967. Here, Ulli took up even before independence arrived. a upng lectureship—excited with the Under Ulli Beier’s guidance, young possibilities of embracing, nurturing, Papua New Guineans used writing, and promoting a rich artistic and drama, poetry, and arts to capture literary culture. national sentiments and to promote One of the first Papua New Guin- PNG cultures. eans they met on their way to the Decolonising the Mind is not just a country, late at night in the departure memoir that recalls the Beiers’ time in hall of the Brisbane Airport, was Sir Papua New Guinea; it also tells of the Albert Maori Kiki. Ulli recounts that activities and people with whom they encounter: “On the plane we had a associated during the period leading brief conversation. His name was up to independence. It covers the Albert Maori Kiki, he said. He had book and media reviews 331 been a patrol officer to the Australian Papua New Guinea’s first novel, pub- administration, but he had recently lished in 1971. Then, in later years, resigned from that position in order Ulli was inspired to establish the Insti- to become the secretary of a new tute of Papua New Guinea Studies. political party. I asked him what part Ulli was supported by his wife, of the country he was from and he Georgina, on his mission to accom- said: “Well, you wouldn’t have heard plish this dream—or perhaps it is of it, it’s a very small place on the better considered an awakening. Papua Gulf called Orokolo” (22). Georgina provided mentorship and Such openness on the part of Maori guidance to artists, sculptors, and Kiki led Ulli Beier to help Kiki publish textile designers in the studio behind his autobiography, Ten Thousand their house. This was the beginning Years in a Lifetime (1968), a book of what later would become the that would trigger a wave of excite- National Arts School, an icon of an ment, not only in Papua New Guinea era rich with artistic flowering. The but internationally as well. The sec- Beiers also helped to foster the work ond autobiography that Ulli had a of pioneer artists at the Center for hand in was Sir Michael Somare’s New Guinea Creative Arts and formed Sana (1975). (Somare served as PNG a close relationship with the center’s prime minister from independence in Mathias Kawage, who became the 1975 until 1980, from 1982 until most original and prolific of all PNG 1985, and from 2002 to the present artists and brought contemporary [2006].) PNG arts to the world. The book is Ulli Beier also passionately recounts dedicated to John Gunther, first upng his work with pioneer upng students, vice chancellor, and to Kawage. then referred to as the “boys’ univer- Ulli also devoted his attention to sity.” He discusses establishing a rela- theater, and joined Peter Trist and tionship with Allan Natachee, the Frank Johnson in the founding of the Papua “Poet Laureate” (12–19), University Drama Society (which also developing the upng creative writing included Professors Clunnies Ross, course, and starting a publication Leo Hannet, and Arthur Jawodim- series called the Papua Pocket Poet bari). The first plays were Bernard series (43–50). From the creative Shaw’s Saint Joan, Euripides’ Alcetis, writing class, Ulli recalls: “One of my and a sketch in Pidgin entitled, Em first and most fascinating students rod bilong kago (Road of Cargo) by was Vincent Eri. He was a mature Leo Hannet (staged in April 1968). student, 31 years old, who had been Later plays, however, were written an education officer. He had twice by peoples of Papua New Guinea— visited Australia and had been to a Rabbie Namaliu’s The Good Woman conference in Teheran. In 1966, he of Konedobu, Cannibal Tours (later was sent to Malaysia to represent turned into a brilliant film by Dennis Papua New Guinea at a writer’s con- O’Rourke), Arthur Jawodimbari’s ference. This experience inspired Eri The Sun, Kumalau Tawali’s Manki to write his first and only novel, The Masta, and of course Ulli Beier’s two Crocodile (51–60), which was also plays They Never Return and Alive 332 the contemporary pacific • 19:1 (2007) (written under the pen name M Savannah Flames: Papua New Lovori). Guinean Journal of Literature, As a second-generation PNG liter- Language and Culture, Volume 5, ary artist, I could ask for nothing edited by Steven Edmund Winduo. better than to read a book that cele- National Capital District, png: Mela- brates the artistic, literary, and perfor- nesian and Pacific Studies (maps), mative arts of Papua New Guinea. University of Papua New Guinea, Even more, this book is from the 2004. issn 1561-7807; ii + 137 pages. person who has had everything to do Annual subscription k25.00 (individ- with the emergence and recognition ual), k30.00 (institutional). of these art forms outside the country. The memoir, at least for me, serves as The beautiful cover of Savannah the link between the pre-independence Flames anticipates the variety of offer- era of literary and artistic culture and ings inside. The journal includes a the present. I find the memoir written range of prose and poetry, interviews with passion and honesty; and, as and reviews, creative and critical expected, it is a book rich with vivid work. For me, however, the distinc- recollection and dedication to the tions between the genres blur; I see arts, artists, writers, and people of poetry in the prose and stories in the Papua New Guinea. It gives these poetry. Regis Stella admits in the pioneer artists the place they deserve interview with Aundo Aitau that the in PNG history. Most important of major influence on his writing was all is the generosity and good will of “listening to myths, legends, stories, Ulli and Georgina Beier in promoting songs, and other traditional aspects PNG arts and culture. We couldn’t of culture” (7). This ancient method ask for more, could we, than such a of enculturation continues to inspire splendid book, which is also clearly storytellers from our region, and written and contains memorable pho- much of the creative writing in this tographs and other images— other collection retains that oral flow and signatures of the Beiers’ influence. flavor. Thank you, Ulli and Georgina Vincent Warakai’s critical essay Beier, for leaving us a legacy that has on Sia Figiel’s work is a provocative transformed us and continues to be foray into the deliberately outrageous the yardstick that we measure against sexual politics of the Samoan author, and build on in our continued and refers to the Margaret Mead– attempts to develop our own artistic Derek Freeman controversy, adding and literary arts, from that time till to a “story” started over a hundred now. years ago. steven edmund winduo The short prose pieces in the col- lection reveal very different worlds for University of Papua New Guinea readers who reside outside of Papua New Guinea, reminding us that the *** home of Savannah Flames is a place of myriad communities: linguistic, social, cultural, geographical, artistic,.
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